Yahz'hu
"We abuse the Force because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see the Force as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -Yahz'hu Born in 3 ABY, 28 Dantari years ago, Yahz'hu was a native Dantari of Dantooine and Force Sensitive. He lived in a constant cycle of life, death, and rebirth, being born into the same tribe and family, growing up again and again but always forgetful of past lives. When born, it was shortly after his death; history never stood still as all things are fluid and ever-changing. He was born into whatever current events were happening in the universe at that moment. Since circumstances were changed, the probability of turning out exactly the same as previously is small, but he was ever on a path that led into the heart of the Light. He was destined to escape this arduous wheel and to finally and truly know peace and freedom. ^ =So it Begins (Again)= Dusk. From a vantage point over the tall grass, a great flickering surface, one could see what looked like an ocean. Small grasshawks launched themselves like fish leaping out of the spume, nipping at the fireflies, pocketing them, then falling back in a dry splash. Bats passed, making a guttering, sputtering sound that ended in an extinguishing swoop. The plain itself seemed to bring forth night color swirled through with red and silver and bronze. The two moons rose, opalescent goddesses tipping light from their harsh maternal scimitars. To the southwest there was a plantation of trees, carefully tended in this devastating openness. First a stand of scrub spruce, contorted by the winds in gnarled figures of split bark and hissing needles - and the pagan odor of sap. Beyond, a rise of higher hedges, then, yet higher trees. These seemed to form concentric circles, but it was hard to tell by this distance and in this fading light. Coming of Age Test Young Yahz'hu set out across the plains with an entourage of Dantari, including his older brother Norr, to track a herd of Piket. Individual Piket were docile, but dangerous as a whole, so the Dantari would encircle them in order to slaughter their herd. They would have to drive them into a set place, and this involved what was known as "being the bait". Someone had to attack one of the animals, which would alert the rest. As one, they would turn to trample the predator to death, so the bait had to be fleet of foot. It made for as good a coming an age test as any, and that day was Yahz'hu's. Coming of Age Test Interrupted A Jedi Master named Rohien Lindalarel landed in her starship nearby. The hunting party scattered unseen, disappearing into tall grass and behind rolling hills. She could feel the Force running strong in Yahz'hu and thus learned there were sentient beings in the vicinity. She easily found their camp, and humbly came forward to the garoo, and through the Force comprehended and spoke their language, telling them of her wish to train Yahz'hu. Unbeknownst to Rohien, his coming of age test had been disrupted, but the elders in their wisdom saw this as a good sign that he must become one of them. They did not know her by name, but called her Gaarjinif Garoo, Strange Medicine Woman; she was allowed to take Yahz'hu to train in the Great Mystery, their word for the Force as it was best translated into Galactic Basic. Jedi Padawan She took him to some ruins halfway around the world that at one time had been an Academy to train Padawans in the Way of the Force. She taught him that he could reach into this invisible Power and move things without touching them. For Yahz'hu, it was like a great dance, a beautiful cooperation, where he would simply ask and rocks and any other inanimate objects, or even animals, and they would comply to his wishes. While she gladly trained him, always amazed by his rapid learning, it seemed to Yahz'hu that she was continually chiding him for not suppressing his natural passions. There were others who also seemed to take notice of the feral child; a watershed moment occurred when many seemed interested in his being taught their way. As they gathered around Rohien's ship, he turned to wander out into the wilderness while they bickered among themselves. He encountered and slayed three albino kath hounds''' (Trial of Courage), the skins of which he wore until he traded them for a tiny piece of basalt, whose shape suggested a cat, with Jedi Master Meryn Nelente on Corellia. She got it from the crag upon which the Castle of Per'Agthra sat on Hapes in Ta'a Chume'Dan. At this time also he met an assassin droid named Synosis, the personal property of the Phoenix Imperium's leader, Matar Lyndruss. Syn learned Dantari, and as the two spoke they bonded; through Syn, Matar gave Yahz'hu black iron hunting knives that he used to his dying day. Illness and loss of his Master Rohien took him as far as the Enclave, but found she was growing weak and unable to continue Yahz'hu's training. Whether she died or left is uncertain, but his loss of her was his '''Trial of the Flesh. She asked that he would be left in the care of the Jedi of the planet, specifically Jedi Masters Rael Starfall and Jess Holt, who knew him from his past incarnation as a Jedi Master, but Yahz insisted that his friend Syn take him off-world, where he was left among the Emerald Order of Anobis for a time. Too Passionate Yahz'hu immediately began lightsaber training, but relied heavily on his unbridled emotions. No Jedi would encourage this behavior, so he attempted to learn Juyo in secret. It was his favorite because of its inherently aggressive and emotional nature. He tried to be cautious, however, not to let himself slip into that form when sparring with his Masters. Someone surely would have been very put out with him. Visions, Dreams, and Torment He was constantly being bombarded by an onslaught of visions and dreams, variously about mundane things or coalescing into one grand vision, which revealed to him what he named the Great Entropy. The universe is wearing down. It drove him to despair to sense such vague uselessness. He found solace in putting more aggression into sparring. There was never a doubt in his mind that people must not let themselves atrophy while the universe was going to run out of steam. =Dark Prophecy and Earning a Living= Exile from the Jedi Feeling certain he had been rejected by the monastic Order of the Jedi, he hitchhiked through the Galaxy and did what he could to make a living. He became involved in petty crime, then moved with slow, aimless abandon from piracy to mercenary work to salvaging to bounty hunting. He piled up quite a mass of treasure, making a few upgrades to his ship and keeping himself, living below his means, well-fed. He heard rumors that Darth Sidious, once the Emperor Palpatine, had been cloned. This was a few years after it actually transpired. Knowing of his own propensity for visions he thought he might be an asset to Palpatine's Prophets of the Dark Side. He began a futile search for the Dark Prophets, and continued even long after he heard the Emperor was dead. Seeking the Darkness; Finding the Krath Ever his mind was bent on finding this deep, elusive Order. Finally despairing, he learned of the Krath, Dark Jedi who believe true power does not translate into leadership or military might, because they realize that social position and strength of arms are temporal and ephemeral at best. Knowledge, in its various forms, is the true power sought by the scholarly members of this Order: Knowledge of the Force, knowledge of one’s weaknesses, knowledge of rituals, alchemy, and spells. If there is knowledge worth pursuing, a Krath is certainly after it! The individual who sees and understands the invisible strings that bind and fuel the galaxy is able to control his own destiny. Knowledge grants clarity, and with that comes the possibility of change and control - true freedom. The Krath embark after knowledge not as a means towards an end, but as an end unto itself; they embark in a never-ending quest, always starving for more information and always devising new experiments to further push the limits of their wisdom. Due to these characteristics, the Krath are often seen as dark mystics, Dark Jedi of great knowledge and wisdom concerned with the more pure aspects of the Force, especially writing, dueling, and beautiful art. Swashbuckler No More Yahz'hu was initiated into their Order and transformed from an unruly vagrant into a disciplined young man, who found deep, true ways to be in communion with the Living Force and to pour out his heartfelt emotions until he was completely empty. He grew. He kept seeking to master Juyo. He had a penchant for learning languages and he visited many worlds, interacting with their shamans, lore-keepers, historians, and mystics. He learned various Force powers, but mainly loved to heal those who were wounded physically or internally, and his abilities as an empath blossomed. He wept over natural beauty and became quite an artist. He raged against social injustices. His physical strength grew immense, primate that he was, and he was on the verge of becoming the shaman he was destined to become among the Dantari without even realizing it; he was considered holy even by Krath standards, and became a high priest to them. His main gift, empathy, could be used not only to feel what others do, healing them of deep-seated emotional pain, but also to destroy them from within. Apocalypse On a Vision Quest, he set out as a wandering, solitary Krath with their blessing. It was then that he encountered the Ewok pirate Tarfang and his posse, and joined them, taking part in the symbiotic cycle of robbing King Gaischoch Dearg of Onderon. Awhile after this he offered himself in service to the Phoenix Imperium, political rulers of his homeworld, and was sent to find ancient artifacts within Korriban's tombs. He was overwhelmed by an unnamed malicious Darkness, and at his weakest moment had an epiphany of self-perpetuating Light. At that moment he knew he was to become a garoo to his people. He turned from his dark past, broke his ties with the Krath and with the P.I., and was told (by Ashla Herself) to find a lady named Arhiia Concordia. As he landed upon Arkania, where Arhiia rules as Queen, he suffered along with many others a sabotaged explosion and collapse within the spaceport. He spent days feeding others his year's worth of rations, using the Force to empathize and heal others en mass, using his 120 Krath War Droids to dig their way to freedom, and for the first time found serenity in taking no thought for himself. Extremely exhausted and slumbering deeply, he inadvertently astrally projected himself to the Dantari surface, where he visited the Jedi Enclave, saw much that was familiar and much that was new since he had last been there. In reality, he had been summoned by the eldest and most powerful of medicine men, Uladi of the Kunga, who cryptically hinted at Yahz'hu's Wheel of Samsara, and told him many details regarding how he was to become a healer instead of a self-interested mercenary. Reflection upon all his years engulfed in Darkness was his Trial of the Spirit, a mirror he would never forget. He would live the rest of his life, with one glaring exception, refusing to push his way to the top, instead becoming a man who abandoned his ego. =Almost the Last of His Kind= The Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy when he was 22 Dantari years old; that war went on for four years. Yahz'hu learned that they did not spare even the Dantari. He was later relieved to learn that many remain alive and well. Home Again, Home Again He returned to Dantooine, fasted in solitude to find purification for several weeks, then became one of several garoo, or Shakyamuni Dantari, "The Sage(s) of the Dantari". He oftentimes meditated on the the temporal nature of life, the inevitability of suffering, imperfection, and feeling unfulfilled. He no longer sought knowledge for its own sake, but to rely on what he did not know. The more he learned, the less he knew and the greater the Mystery he experienced and relied upon. Garoo at Last He made contact with the Jedi of the Dantooinian Enclave; after a brief encounter Rael Starfall and with the Sith Vampire Stridal, the former Jedi Master Aj, whom he healed of some physical wounds and in whom he planted some seeds of goodness to grow upon, he knew it was time to move on so he could better serve his people. He cut a stick from a Blba branch and took the second test of the Dantari: That of the garoo. When one is Force Sensitive and destined to live as a shaman, she or he must choose a stick that does not break when it hits a live Graul over the head. They must then, of course, survive the encounter. Yahz'hu, still following the Way of the Vornskyr, fought not one but three Graul to death with his shaman staff. After dropping off the map, serving as a garoo, helping to heal the Dantari not only individually but socially, hoping to destroy the mindset of the Inner Circle that the Dantari Proper had adopted in recent decades since they alone had not worshiped the Imperials years prior. The Junta, Kunga, and Mokk were viewed as inferior, though they were all Dantari. All garoo, not just Yahz'hu, sought this unification and healing, but only Yahz'hu had any training in the Force beyond what was native to their world. He earned a reputation for being a remarkable shaman, but he felt himself stagnating. Soon, even his empathic abilities withered and he knew within himself that if he was to continue a life of giving of himself, he would have to seek further training than he had. Taking an open-hearted leap in the dark, he sought out a famous Jedi Healer, far away from Dantooine, who would teach him to become a Jedi. =Corellia= Reborn Padawan Yahz'hu left Dantooine and entered into the Jedi Academy as a Padawan of Jedi Healing Master Dunta Coral. Master Coral decided it was time for Yahz'hu to meet his final Trial, that of Skill (whether it be in use of the sword or in healing), and for the construction of his first lightsaber. Robes Yahz'hu put on the Corellian Jedi Healer robes instead of running around in the hide of a laigrek as a loin cloth. These were forest green robes, tailored to fit his short, broad frame. There was a slightly lighter shade of green shirt that went beneath this, along with brown pants. As he was on the track to finding Master Kel'Al Raganella for instructions on constructing a dual-phased lightsaber, some parts of the garb began to bother him. He walked very nimbly, but the robe and pants became quite frayed from the floor and rubbing against his rough Graul-skin boots. The shirt against his neck felt stifling, so it was discarded, and then the sleeves came off so he would have full arm movement capability. Finally, the pants came off. He wore only the fraying robes given to him by C3P9, the Jedi Academy's protocol droid, with whom he had traded a hand-made axe; it has always been Dantari custom to make a gift exchange upon making a new acquaintance. Lightsaber Form He took a class from a Weapons Master named Big Sky and accidentally created a lightsaber style that was a hybrid of Juyo and Soresu, or Inverted Juyo as he called it. Rather than drawing on inner Darkness, it drew on the Light of Ashla. Rather than being aggressive and attack-oriented, it was inchoately defensive. The defense it used is close to the attacks Juyo uses: Quick, intricate, skilled, focused, staccato, seemingly without rhythm to confuse attackers but in actuality it was a flow of the person in tune with the here and now of Ashla that it appeared his body and saber were in many places at once. It was not merely a Form, but a life-style that depended upon altruism, putting oneself in harm's way for others' sake, defending for the sake of the Force herself (or another good cause), or defending self so long as the self-defense is to defend others another day. Unlike Soresu, its defenses are so fast and calculated that, while it is not used to gain the upper hand, in close-quarters contact it could easily do so because it would expose a weakness in an attacker much more quickly. Rather than reflect one's Darkness back on them, it shines forth pure Light into the hearts of whoever is attacking, be it one or many. It was also more physically taxing than was Soresu. =Mission to Ryloth= Pirates and Crystals Along with Jedi Master Serrin Roma, Padawan Johun Starfield, Mike Franz, and Xiomara Toril, he dressed as a pirate and attempted to find passage onto Ryloth, where Johun hoped to find someone dear to him, his Master Stephen Shin, who was in need of being rescued. Yahz'hu had many opportunities to defend his friends along the way, healing those with wounds both physical and spiritual among the fellowship, and find the pieces he needed so he could construct his first lightsaber. He was given the opportunity and power to heal Xiomara's vocal folds from a slice acquired earlier in her life that had left her with a gravelly, strained voice. Master Roma and Yahz'hu took part in deep conversations on Ashla, which led to the unexpected creation of a Force Bond between them. At that time, Yahz'hu meditated on the Force and imbuing his two crystals with Her, which was a vivid success. They became the manifestation of the connection between the Dantari Jedi and Ashla, the Great Mystery. Johun attempted to reach Master Shin through the Force, but he silenced his Padawan warning him of Force Sensitives among the enemy. After being fired upon by N.O.E. (New Order of the Eye) forces and finding an ally in a heretofore unknown pilot and his crew, Ditch Drisk, both ships evaded the planetary defenses and deftly made their way to the sun-baked surface. Landing, they hiked across the land, weaving their way through sharp rock shelves that cut them. They managed not to get utterly baked by the never-setting sun of the Bright Lands by a Bubble of Protection emanating through Yahz'hu from the depths of the Force. Finding an old mine into the city, they encountered a pack of Doashim. Yahz'hu spoke to these devil dogs in their own tongue, finding this necessary for the survival of his own "pack". The alpha male of the demonic canines allowed their safe passage and went off to hunt the N.O.E. squadron that had come hunting the Corellians. Along with a Force doppelgänger of Master Franz, these creatures destroyed the forces who came against them. The Fall of Master Shin Entering the devastated Kala'uun from the mines, the party split, with Serrin, Johun, Ditch, and Beedy going in search of Stephen; "Xi" and Yahz'hu went to tend the wounded in a make-shift medical unit set up in a restaurant in the starport. It was here, in the perpetual twilight of the terminator, that the plainsman learned of that Jedi Master Shin had given himself over to the quick access to power that the Dark Side afforded in his defense of Kala'uun against the N.O.E. The Twi'lek Sesk'vati, the warrior caste, revered Shin, but not all were so blinded. Many of those Yahz'hu met in the med unit had been hurt or slain by the carelessness of the Jedi Master bent on destroying the enemy at any cost. He was even entering in to battle meditation, controlling the minds and emotions of both the Kala'uun and Lessu armies. Moved to tears, Yahz'hu went through the dark make-shift hospital, the Force gifting him with extraordinary healing abilities, making whole those upon whom his tears fell. This was most likely his Trial of Skill. A Brave Fellowship Leaving after this episode, he fell asleep. Xi made her way to the others, and Yahz'hu had been followed by a young Sesk'ryvak, a Twi'lek of the medical caste, who woke him up and filled him in on what had happened. Yahz'hu learned that there was a stronghold of N.O.E. forces stationed in Lessu, so he gathered up a few brave soldiers, Sesk'vati except for the Sesk'ryvak, in awe of the shaman, who followed him wherever he went, and two undercover Sesk'nabsilai, a Force Sensitive caste among the Twi'leks, who did not show themselves to outsiders nor even very openly to their own kind for their own protection. The names of these Twi'lek men who accompanied Yahz'hu on this dangerous mission were Bibfort'afa (the medic), Orn, Nuro, Nat, Reess, Siolo, Vuren, Ree'Teksa, Bril, Byt, Chee (the warriors), and Nabat and Olm (the under-cover Force Sensitives). Entering a hotel that served as the base for the Sith Acolyte woman who was in a state of battle meditation, controlling like game pieces the N.O.E. troops, these 14 set out to face Jayashri. Many of them died at the hands of her doll-shaped droid bodyguards. Once the meditation chamber and the droids were disabled, the remaining Twi'leks and Yahz'hu faced the Sith, who tried manipulating them all with her dark magic; Yahz'hu anticipated her maneuver, however and used "Form Zero", escorting his remaining friends out without a fight. Yahz'hu had been her "shadow beneath the surface of the water", a presence she was not entirely sure she felt, who had slipped past her defenses and broke her hold over the N.O.E. minds, a shatterpoint that not only turned the tide of the war, but cleared the path for Master Shin's redemption. Truce/Victory for the U.F.F.W. The survivors decided to return to Kala'uun, but ran into the Lessu armies, who had advanced and so had trapped the remaining N.O.E. forces between the Kala'uun forces. Yahz'hu cloaked himself in the Force and rejoined his friends from Corellia and Ditch, disarming several of the heavier weapons of the N.O.E. on his way through the bivouac. Master Shin, some time after the ceasefire, repented of his hostilities, and in an act of self-sacrifice, gave one of his focusing crystals to Yahz'hu, who finally had all the pieces he needed to create his Jedi weapon and Sacrament. Shortly after that, as an act of vengeance, Master Shin was murdered by one of the Twi'leks. The party was stricken with grief, but had to begin preparing to make the journey back to Corellia after nearly a year. Norr's Death On a hunt with some 19 Dantari and 20 of the Phoenix Imperium's soldiers for a Graul that had been eating the Dantari's game, disaster struck and will always leave 19 as an unlucky number among the Dantari. Instead of a single Graul, there were three, a mother and two sons. In attacking the mother, Norr acted as bait, something the 20th in the hunting party should have done, not the leader and the strongest. The Dantari were disorganized with one less than their usual hunting party, and as a result, the beast killed Norr and one other Dantari man. =Ditch= Yahz'hu was told about Ditch's heroic deeds in response to a breach in the cease-fire by an angry officer on board one of the N.O.E. ships in orbit. Due to his ace piloting, peace was maintained even though a fight was required to hold onto it. The entire posse of Corellian Jedi were able to sense that this young pilot Ditch was definitely strong with the Force, and so invited him back to Corellia with them. They all, except for Master Franz and Xi, flew back with him. He and Yahz'hu spoke some about training together, and after the Dantari garoo was Knighted, Ditch became his Padawan. The Loss of Yet Another Master Upon returning to Corellia from Ryloth, Yahz'hu felt the death of his beloved Master, Dunta Coral, who had been slain by a Sith Lord named Iniquitous, the same saboteur who had, years earlier, nearly killed Yahz'hu in the explosion of the spaceport on Arkania, although neither of these men knew the other. Clearly there was a malevolent force at work against Yahz'hu, intertwining these two lives together in ways neither could yet foresee. Having temporarily lost his senses upon the empathic realization of Master Coral's death, he clawed at Ditch's seat belts until he was able to get control of the ship they were on, sloppily landed in the Corellian Academy, and ran to his Master's vacant office in the Infirmary. After awhile, Xiomara came to comfort him, and not long after this, Yahz'hu began work on his lightsaber, having accepted the loss, albeit with not a little pain. If his first Trial of the Flesh did not count since he fell to the Dark Side afterwards, this one surely did. Knighting Ceremony and Force Light While Yahz'hu was meditating with Ditch, teaching him a little about telekinesis, he left his friend alone for a minute to go into Dunta's old office, take up the holocron he had been meaning to study, that of Force Light, and as he began to give it his full attention, he was called through the Force to the Council Chambers. Attended by Masters Kel'Al Raganella, Serrin Roma (his surrogate Master and she with whom he was in a Force Bond), Torian Py'ek, Rakella Saturnia, Meryn Nelente, and Mike Frantz, Yahz'hu was Knighted as a Jedi in a dual ceremony, the other Padawan being Veran Kein, Serrin's actual pupil. Moving On He came back to tell Ditch the good news, and found many of the other students at the Academy had heard, too. The celebration lasted a short while, and was very glad indeed, but then Serrin became busy with her work and he had not seen Mike, Xiomara, or Johun in some time, there were visions of a terrible impending storm brewing, so he and his new Padawan and his crew took Ditch's ship to the planet of Anobis, where the Force introduced them to Syren, who was inhabiting the long abandoned Headquarters of the Emerald Order, built over a Nexus in the Force, searching for answers on slug-throwing, as opposed to blaster-firing, guns, which was useful information in her self-appointed line of work - to hunt down and eradicate Dark Jedi. Temptation "You're one tough sonofabitch aren't ya?" --Niver Slenka to Yahz'hu upon seeing him thrashed about, yet continuing to get up and bring it on in a fight A premonition of impending darkness continued to trouble Yahz'hu, as well as Jedi Master Serrin Roma, with whom he shares a Force Bond. Finally returning to Ryloth, Ditch, Beedy, and Yahz'hu, along with Eudaimonia, met Bibfort'afa and sat down to eat in Mal'aa's Kitchens within Kala'uun's Starport. During their meal, they met a Zabrak stranger who introduced himself as Kar Trask, who Eudaimonia did not like, but with whom Yahz'hu enjoyed a deep conversation on the nature of Ashla. They left the cantina together with him, offering to help him on whatever mission he was there for. Yahz'hu knew a time was coming when Ditch would be given his second Trial in becoming a Jedi, that of The Flesh, when he would lose something that he held dear; he also knew that what Ditch was going to lose was himself, whether to the Dark Side or to death he did not know. Darth Vindicus, the Zabrak's real name, was cutting the assurance Yahz'hu right out from under his feet by causing him to focus on what he was normally humble enough to let be. Wretched soul! Here was a man, or a sub-human at least, who had long been disciplined away from self-aggrandizement towards humility, for whom it was obvious that all people were subjective and therefore carried both good and evil within them, but that the Force, Ashla, She was the source of all pure goodness. She was no tool, she was not neutral. She reigned supreme, good beyond reckoning, and the more one lost oneself in Her, clinging to nothing, not even to Her, the less difficult it became to follow Her and for Her to do miraculous things through such people. However, years of meditation were suddenly corrupt, shot to hell by the sly way this Sith bewitched he who had been a hero to many. There he was, trying to understand the unfathomable, and disturbed beyond salvation so long as he did not leave all of this behind and find some quiet solitude. The attempt to discern was actually both an assertion and a denial at once, and let crop up dualism within his mind, insulating him from the Light and leading him astray. It was so subtle, it was genius. The harder he thought about it, the more words he relied upon, the less he looked to what words cannot express. The more one talks and thinks about it, the further astray one wanders from the truth. Stop talking and thinking, and there is nothing one will not be able to know. To return to the root is to find the meaning, but to pursue appearances is to miss the source. It was not through philosophical argument that he one walked away from the Darkness into the Light, but deep thoughts on the essence of things, and whether or not goodness and badness were merely projected onto Ashla through the one who sought to follow Her, were eating away at his certainty with great precision. He was becoming inundated with opinions and preferences, stupidly forgetful of the oneness of things and blatantly blasphemous against the blessed quality of dear, sweet Ashla, his goddess and center. =Personal Stuff= Philosophy He tries to convince others that the Force is not there as a tool and was not to be manipulated selfishly. He insists that everyone who can should see the Force as a caravan that passes in the night, extant of its own accord, not merely for mortal use, which both Dark and Light Jedi are guilty of. Yahz'hu sees the universe wearing itself down via entropy, but does not believe that means that causing destruction or chaos is therefore true power; instead, by living in harmony with the Force and Its will, one can live in continual ectropy and growth; THAT is true power, especially when the ectropy and growth of others (not self) if one's prime objective. He disagrees with the notion that the Force is "an energy field created by all living things". He leans more towards the belief that the Force is a non-corporeal sentient entity that is capable of intelligent thought - in sharp contrast with most others' teachings. To him the Force is made manifest; he can see Her with his mind's eye (not as She is in Herself, but as best he is able to perceive her in his finitude), and She looks more like "an eternally running river" than any other description he has words for. She is Ultimate Reality, or at least Its arm of Power. He has wondered quite often if he will ever meet societies, organizations, or individuals who think as he does, who love Her for Her own ego-less goodness and not for what they can receive from or do with Her power. Direct experience with the Force, the Absolute, is the basis of all of the ways people draw conclusions about what She is like. Yahz'hu wishes to draw no conclusions, but live his life always seeking, always touching Her. He wants to feel connected to everybody because he believes we all long for, and need, the same Final Answer, and hopes that interdependence on the Force can become universal; however, we each tend to let our understandings of our subjective experiences get in the way of good conduct to one another, and so we remain at odds with each other and the natural and supernatural. Eventually all ideas must be abandoned if the Objective is to be grasped, and then even ideas about the Absolute must be abandoned if the follower of the Force is to become one with Her, a noumenon, any object or event as it is in itself, independent of the senses; one can make sense out of phenomena in various ways, but can never directly know the noumena, the "things-in-themselves," whether the actual objects and dynamics of the natural world or the metaphysical Being, the Force - they must be content not to know, or to not know more than they do, and experience Her only sub- or unconsciously. It is certainly a dramatic change within oneself to turn fully to this way of life, a transference borne of a "leap of faith" from disbelief to utter belief, from cold and uncaring darkness into the arms of a loving Mother, even if the inner transition is a slow and often arduous one. Divergence from the Code(s) He resolved to live relying solely on Ashla. The Codes state: "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force." "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me." Yahz'hu did not agree fully with either of these. On one hand he felt both emotion and peace; he felt ignorance and knowledge; he felt passion as well as serenity; he was as aware of death as he was of the Force. On the other hand he knew peace was no lie, though he did gain strength through passion. However, "power" and "victory" were of no interest to him. Only the Force Herself was Free, and being personally interested in All, Ashla would break his chains and set him free. Therefore, neither the Jedi nor the Sith were fully wrong, but neither were either of them fully right. As he thought back over his life, though, there were none who truly adhered to their codes. Violence was cloaked on either side of the fence with the name of the Force as a thin veil (maya) over their true intentions. None were fully of the side of Light, which boils down to generosity without favoritism, giving to those who could never give to you in return, especially to those who hate you and persecute and try to kill you. Everyone has within themselves the battle between right and wrong, acting on some of both from time to time. Only Ashla, the Force, is fully good, fully real and central. In the same vein, there was nobody fully wicked, which boils down to stinginess and selfishness. People who claim that they are evil are usually no worse than the rest of us. It's of the people who claim that they're good, or in anyway better than the rest of us that you have to be wary. A moderately bad person knows (s)he is not very good: A thoroughly bad one thinks (s)he is all right. It has been said, "The Force may have no Dark or Light Side, but we do. We must choose." Yet are we free to choose once we have already chosen the Dark Side? Yahz'hu does not think so; it takes the power of the Force to free one from the chains of that vicious cycle. A Jedi is not a good person but someone who experiences the goodness of the Force. Basically, he concludes, there are two kinds of people in the world: those who say to the Force, "Thy will be done," and those to whom Ashla says, "All right; have it your way." The consequence of the latter was doom for the ones to whom it was said; they had resisted the Force, even through their use of it, to the point that they would never be set free and would die in their slavery to themselves; that slavery would continue to the next life(s). Pain does not end with the death of the physical body. Yahz'hu knows one thing: He is not what he ought to be. He is not what he wants to be. He is not what he hopes to be. But still, he is not what he used to be, and by the unmerited favor of the Force, he is what he is. There exists a Middle Path between self-indulgence and self-denial. Patience, discipline, humility, monasticism (solitude, meditation, contemplation, and even prayer), respect for one's elders, peace with oneself, trust in things spiritual over things physical, and self-sacrifice are extolled as the virtues he would like to develop over time on the Good Road. A stoic position of setting aside personal feelings for others in order to bring about a greater good is also emphasized; this one is harder for him given his feral nature and empathy, but he has gained much ground through compassion. Last but not least, the Jedi do not seek after material possessions and neither do the Dantari. The Jedi govern through a shared power structure with many "checks and balances". As Jedi they govern with a council based on merit and seniority. Jedi are, he so firmly believes, almost completely devoid of jealousy and competitive ambition within their ranks. They remind him much of the Dantari. A Jedi's strength flows from the Force. He has learned in his nearly three decades of life to beware of the Dark Side: Anger, fear, and aggression. These are the Dark Side of the Force. Easily they flow, and they are quick to join one in a fight. The Dark Side uses them to try to win a distorted form of Order over Chaos, but is the Dark Side stronger? No. It is quicker, easier, and more seductive, but in the end, good will have victory over evil. How, then, was he to always know the good from the bad? Ashla Herself answered him without a voice: "''You will know: When you are calm, at peace, passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." Further Thoughts on Ashla The Force is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind. When the deep meaning of things is not understood the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail. The Force is perfect like vast space where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess. Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject that we do not see the true nature of things. Live neither in the entanglements of outer things, nor in inner feelings of emptiness. Be serene in the oneness of things and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves. When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity your very effort fills you with activity. As long as you remain in one extreme or the other you will never know oneness. Those who do not live in the single Force fail in both activity and passivity, assertion and denial. To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality, to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality. The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the truth. Stop talking and thinking, and there is nothing you will not be able to know. To return to the root is to find the meaning, but to pursue appearances is to miss the source. At the moment of inner enlightenment there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness. The changes that appear to occur in the empty world, we call real only because of our ignorance. Do not search for the truth; only cease to cherish opinions. Do not remain in the dualistic state, avoid such pursuits carefully. If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the mind-essence will be lost in confusion. Although all dualities come from the one, do not be attached even to this one. When the mind exists undisturbed in the Force, nothing in the world can offend, and when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way. When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist. When thought objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes, as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish. Things are objects because of the subject (mind); the mind (subject) is such because of things (object). Understand the relativity of these two and the basic reality: The unity of emptiness. In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable and each contains in itself the whole world. If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion. To live in the Force is neither easy nor difficult, but those with limited views are fearful and irresolute: the faster they hurry, the slower they go, and clinging (attachment) cannot be limited; even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray. Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going. Obey the nature of things (your own nature), and you will walk freely and undisturbed. When thought is in bondage the truth is hidden, for everything is murky and unclear. and the burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness. What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separations? If you wish to move in the Force do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas. Indeed, to accept them fully is identical with true enlightenment. The wise man strives to no goals but the foolish man fetters himself. There is one Code, not many; distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant. To seek Mind with the discriminating mind is the greatest of all mistakes. Rest and unrest derive from illusion, with enlightenment there is no liking and disliking. All dualities come from ignorant inference. They are like dreams or flowers in air: foolish to try to grasp them. Gain and loss, right and wrong, such thoughts must finally be abolished at once. If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease: If the mind makes no discriminations, the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence. To understand the mystery of this One-essence is to be released from all entanglements. When all things are seen equally the timeless Self-essence is reached. No comparisons or analogies are possible in this causeless, relationless state. Consider movement stationary and the stationary in motion, both movement and rest disappear. When such dualities cease to exist Oneness itself cannot exist. To this ultimate finality no law or description applies. For the unified mind in accord with the Force all self-centered striving ceases. Doubts and irresolutions vanish and life in true faith is possible. With a single stroke we are freed from bondage; nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing. All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, with no exertion of the mind's power. Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination are of no value. In this world of suchness there is neither seer nor other-than-self. To come directly into harmony with this reality just simply say when doubt arises, ‘Not two.’ In this ‘not two’ nothing is separate, nothing is excluded. No matter when or where, enlightenment means entering this truth. And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or space; in it a single thought is ten thousand years. Emptiness here, Emptiness there, but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes. Infinitely large and infinitely small, no difference, for definitions have vanished and no boundaries are seen. So too with Being and non-Being. Don’t waste time in doubts and arguments that have nothing to do with this. One thing, all things: Move among and intermingle, without distinction. To live in this realization is to be without anxiety about non-perfection. To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind. Words! The Force is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today. Permanently in Development Yahz'hu is in love with the Force. He sees value in many of the different "faces of the Force" he has heard about, and deeply longs to learn more about the Light Side, especially the Living Force ("be here now"), and many other ways of understanding Her. No opinion or tradition, however, is better than direct, mystical, intimate, imperceptible experience, as well as the experience of the less transcendent, more immanent ways of the Force, reaching out through all things on behalf of Objective Ultimate Reality. Form "Zero" is best: "The best blades are kept in their sheaths." Darkness cannot drive out Darkness; only Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. Appearance About 1.62 meters if he could stand fully erect. He has broad shoulders and so with his chest. His arms are longer than a human's. He is an aboriginal, appearing socially uneducated; however, he has spent years pirating, becoming disciplined by the Krath, serving as a shaman to the Dantari, and now wears the (somewhat frayed) robes of the Corellian Jedi Order, specifically that of the Healers: forest green, forgoing the undershirt; a laigrek hide loincloth as the outfit's pants seemed to hinder his mobility. The same alteration happened with the sleeves. He is discalced. His eyes are wise and shine as brilliantly as a child's, exposing a heart that has gone through a rough purification, although he can still appear quite feral. His smile is easy, natural beneath his thick, coarse hair. He carries a satchel containing various odds and ends and a necklace made of the claws of a Graul, also proudly showing a tiny, catlike piece of basalt. Physical Prowess The Dantari are a mixture of Native Americans, Druids, cavemen, and Hindus, with a bit of Beast from Marvel Comics thrown in. They possess great strength, agility, endurance, and speed, despite their bulk. They possess the agility of great apes and the acrobatic prowess of large cats. Their physiology is durable enough to allow them to survive a three story fall by landing on their feet without suffering any broken bones or sprains. They can also run on all fours at approximately 30 miles per hour for short sprints. They can crawl up brick walls by wedging their fingers and toes into the smallest cracks and applying a vice-like grip on them, as well as walk a tightrope with minimal effort. They are adept in performing complicated sequences of gymnastics such as flips, rolls, and springs, and can also walk on their hands for many hours. Further, their manual and pedial dexterity are so great that they can perform multiple tasks such as writing with both hands at once or tie knots in rope with his toes. They are quadridexterous with not only opposable thumbs, but opposable toes. The Dantari possess enhanced senses, the ability to secrete pheromones to attract members of the opposite sex, as well as a slight healing factor that allows them to regenerate minor wounds and recover quickly from minor ailments such as colds. They also possess cat-like night vision as well as razor-sharp claws on both hands and feet. Their teeth were also very hard and very sharp Some personal strengths Imaginative abilities, understanding a variety of people, recognizing problems even before they occur, brainstorming, getting things done even if it takes very hard work, leadership, risk taking, fine people skills, and courtesy, etc. Some personal weaknesses Feeling paralyzed by alternatives accompanied by an inability to make decisions, aiming at trivial improvements, devotion to meaningless activities, etc. Weapons *Flint knives *A shaman staff: ''Ree *Two Raven Claw Fighting Knives: Overall: 19-1/2"; Blade: 13-1/4" long, 1-1/2" wide, 3/16" thick; Wt: 1 lb. *A Twi'leki, wrist-mounted sleep inducer *Long-handled, dual-phased lightsaber: The first phase is a clear blade with a green afterglow cooling both skin and tempers. The second phase is from an oddly-shaped brown crystal, in which phase his lightsaber is essentially a lightclub.The handle is from his former shaman staff, one third of the broken spear fused with electronics and Force-imbued crystals: Jela. Force Powers *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Healing Force Healing ((http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Revitalize Revitalize, http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Art_of_the_Small Art of the Small, Healing Trance, Self-Healing)) *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Animal_Friendship Animal Friendship//http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Beast_Language Beast Language *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Weapon Force Weapon *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Cloak Force Cloak *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Plant_Surge Plant Surge *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alter_Environment Alter Environment *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Protection_Bubble Protection Bubble *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Empathy Force Empathy *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_Light Force Light *http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Shatterpoint Shatterpoint Spaceship/Fleet Tartan-class Patrol Cruiser: "Shakyamuni Dantari: 'The Sage of the Dantari'" Length: 600 meters Hyperdrive rating: 2.0 Armament: Laser cannons: 20 Cargo capacity: 500 tons Consumables: 1 year Roles: Anti-starfighter corvette; patrolling Crew: 70 Passengers: 50 *Powerful sensor and computer systems enable its guns to engage rapidly with swarms of small, swift targets. *Powerful engines give this ship the speed and maneuverability to engage directly with starfighters, and the systems that channel power from the generators to systems throughout the hull are also versatile and sophisticated, being able to redirect energy from the deflector shields to give more firepower to the weapons systems. However, they are more or less useless against larger capital ships unless in large numbers. Ground Forces *120 Krath War Droids Class: Battle droid Height: 1.8 meters Armament: Pulse-wave firing assembly (a bow-shaped weapon designed to rapidly fire concentrated bursts of plasma, generally used to take out groups of fast-moving targets. The plasma appears as small orbs of blue or purple light that inflict much pain on its victim); melee combat short swords *Eudaimonia, his Vornskr friend Accomplishments *Passed the Trials *Knighted as a Jedi *Created "Inverted Juyo" *Aided in the rescue of fallen Jedi Master Shin *Trained Jedi Ace Ditch Drisk through his Jedi Trials to Knighthood *Healed many in body and soul Goals *To sit on the banks of the river of the Force and watch Her be Her own lovely, powerful, flowing Self; everyone else, he thinks, would do well to find their peace doing the same. *Mastering Form "Zero", wherein (potential) conflicts are resolved without a weapon, or perhaps the battle is fought through the Force alone. *To use his relationship with the Force for the good of others, so as to have no self-interest. *To follow the path of a both the garoo and the Jedi; to be a contemplative of the mysteries of the Force, a Force Healer, a scholar, and an artist. To make friends and help others put aside all differences. *To have the wisdom to know when to practice balance and when not to. *To learn to fight well, should it ever be needed for others' sake. *Altruism and humility. *To pass on what he has learned even if it's only from his contrived and finite point of view. Jos'hu (talk) 08:50, February 8, 2013 (UTC) (None of the copyrighted pictures on this page belong to me and are used without permission.) Category:Characters